Turbihe-engihe



F. 1. KEPPLER. TURBINE Erm.

APPLICATION FILEDIJECJG, |914.

PatentedAug. 15,1916.

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INVENTUR F. J. KEPPLER.

TURBINE ENGINEI APPLICATION mso umts. 1914.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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FRED J. KEPPLER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TURBINE-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Palgmigd Aug', 15, llljlhl.

Application filed December 16, 1914:.- Serial No. 877,511.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that l, FRED J. Knrrnun, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvementsl in Turbine-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a turbineengine which is more particularly designed to be operated by a jet of compressed air although the same may also be operated by other motive iiuids.

It is the object of this invention to produce an engine of this type which is very simple and inexpensive yin construction, which will develop a larger amount of power for the amount of pressure fluid which is expended, which is durable in con struction and not liable to get out of order, and which can be easily repaired at small cost when those parts which are subject to wear are worn out. 4

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a turbine engine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section ofthe same taken in line 33, Fig. 1. Figs. l and 5 are vertical longitudinal sections taken in the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 3. Fig. G is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken in line 6 6, Fig. ll. Fig. 7 is a ldetached side elevation of the plug of the valve whereby the motive iiuid for the engineis controlled. Fig. S is a cross section of the same taken in line 8-8, Fig. 7 Figs. 9 and 10 are cross sections, on an enlarged scale, taken in the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bucket holder of the engine. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal section similar to'Fig. 6 and showing a modied construction of my y invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

ln its general organization this engine comprises a rotatable body which is arranged in a casing and which is provided with an annular row of buckets into which the motive liuid is delivered by means of a nozzle which is supplied from any suitable source for the purpose of rotating the body and developing power which may be transmitted in any suitable manner tothe place of consumption.

As shown in the drawings this body is preferably constructed in the form of a circular wheel or disk 1 which is mounted on a horizontal shaft 2. Thisbody is arranged within a casing or housing which is provided on its opposite sides with bearings in which the shaft is journaled on op'posite sides of the body. This lcasing iS provided at its lower end with a base or pedestal l, whereby the same may be supported and in order to gain access to the interior of this casing for introducing the working parts therein and also for subsequent inspection, adjustment and repairs of these parts this casing is divided horizontally into upper andv lower sections 5, 6 on a line extending through the bearings of the casing and the axis of the rotatable body. These casing sections may be detachably connected in various ways, for instance, by means of bolts 7 passing through corresponding flanges 8, 9 arranged on the opposing edges of the casing sections, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, t and 5.

The buckets' 10 of the turbine engine are preferably constructed in the form of tubes and mounted in a circumferential row on the periphery of the supporting body in such a manner that each bucket has its axis arranged at an langle to the direction of ro tation of the wheel and has its inlet end which receives the motive fluid arranged in advance of the outlet end thereof from which the spent motive {iuid is discharged, las shown in Fig. G. These buckets may be mounted in this manner on the rotating body of the turbine engine in any suitable manner but preferably by the means which are shown in the drawings. These means are so organized that the buckets are mounted in the form of two semi-circular sets or series on the periphery of the supporting body by means of two sections of a holder which are detachably connected with each other at their opposing ends so that the same and the bucketscarried thereby may be removed from the supporting body. Each of these holder sections is preferably constructed of two curved channel bars 11, 1:2 which are assembled with each other and with the body so that the edges of their flanges engage each other and the back of the inner channel bar 12 engages the peripheryy of the circular supporting body. At their opposite ends the companion channel bars are welded together so as to form prac tically one piece and at one end of each of these holder sections the same is provided with a single coupling eye 13 and at its opposite end with a pair of coupling eyes 14, the openings inthese eyes being constructed in the form of slots which are elongated in the direction of the periphery of the supporting body. The single eye of each holder section is arranged between the pair of eyes on the opposing end of the other holder section and through the openings in the companion eyes of the opposing ends of the holder sections clamping or tightening Wedges 15 are passed which upon being tightened cause the two holder Vsections to be drawnv firmly against the periphery of the supporting body s0 that these parts are compelled to rotate together. Each of the tightening wedges is preferably drawn home by means of a screw threaded shank 16 arranged at the small end of the wedge, and a clamping screw nut 17 arranged on this threaded shank and engaging with the outer side of the adjacent coupling eye.

' The bucket tubes are mounted o-n the opposing fianges of the channel bars of the two holder sections, each bucket being arranged in a socket consisting of corresponding openings or seats 18 formed between the respective flanges of the channel bars of one holder section. Each of these openings or seats is formed partly in one ange of one channel bar and partly in the companion flange of the other channel bar and one end of each bucket tube is seated in a socket opening formed between two flanges of these channel bars at one side thereof while the opposite end of this bucket tube is arranged in a socket opening formed in the flanges of these channel bars on the opposite side thereof. The companion openings of each pair in these channel bars which receive opposite ends of the same bucket tube are arranged circumferentially out of line with each other so that when the respective bucket tube is inserted in the same this tube will be arranged at an angle to the direction of movement of the buckets as they turn with the supporting body, and the front or inlet end of each bucket tube will be arranged in advance of its outlet end, as shown in Fig. 6. Each 0f these bucket tubes is preferably secured in the openings or seats of its socket by countersinking or flaring these openings outwardly and flaring or spreading the ends of each of these bucket tubes into engagement with these flared openings so as to fit the same snugly, as shown in Fig. 6, and thereby prevent these bucket tubes from becoming loose or detached. Whenever these buckets require attention the same may be readily removed from the supporting wheel buckets, as shown in Fig. 6.

fiuid is supplied to this nozzle from any by loosening the clamping wedges of the holder sections and the same may be also easily reapplied to the supporting wheel for restoring the operation of the engine.

The motive fiuid for rotating the buckets bodily with the supporting body and the parts associated therewith is preferably supplied to the inlet ends of Vthe buckets by means of a nozzle 19 mounted on the front side of the casing and preferably on the upper section thereof so that the inner or delivery end of this nozzle is arranged adjacent to the path of the inlet ends of the The motive suitable source by means of a supply pipe 20 and the passage of this fluid through the nozzle may be controlled by a valve of any suitable construction. It is preferable, however, to use for this purpose a valve which is constructed similar to that shown in Figs. 1, G, 7 and S and which comprises a rotatable plug 21 having a cylindrical surface which turns in the bore 22 of the delivery nozzle and is provided .with a stem 23 extending to the exterior of the nozzle casing and terminating in a handle 2l whereby the valve plug may be turned. The latter is provided with an axial passage 25 extending to the front end of the plug and opening into the outlet passage of the nozzle and a transverse passage 26 communieating with the axial passage and terminating at its outer ends in recesses 27 in the periphery of the valve plug which are in line with a port 28 of the nozzle with which the supply 20 communicates. The front end of the valve plug bears against a shoulder 29 on the nozzle by means of an interposed packing 30 and is yieldingly held i l against the same by means of a spring 31 surrounding the valve stem and bearing at its inner end against the rear end of the valve plug while its outer end bears against a cap or bonnet 32 Aat the rear end of the nozzle. By turning the valve plug so that one or the other of the unrecessed parts 33 of its periphery covers the port 27 then the passage of motive fluid from the supply pipe to the nozzle and to the buckets is eut oil'. But when the valve plug is turned so that either one or the other of the recesses 27 in its periphery is brought into register with the port 28 of the nozzle then the motive fluid is permitted to pass from the supply pipe to the buckets of the engine for turning the same.

lilfl As the motive fluid enters the front or advancing ends of the buckets the same is compelled to change its course abruptly and at a reverse angle in order to reach the outlet ends of the buckets, whereby the motive fluid is compelled to expend its maximum impelling e'ect on the buckets before the motive fluid can escape from the buckets,

thereby increasing the efficiency of the engine and reducing the cost of producing power accordingly.

As the motive fluid escapes from the rear or outlet ends of the buckets the same passes through vent openings 3A in the rear side of the casing to the outer atmosphere. These vent openings are arranged in an annular row adjacent to the path of the outlet ends of the buckets and each of these openings is arranged at an angle which is reverse to the angle of the buckets, By this means the spent or exhaust motive fluid escaping from the buckets to the atmosphere through these vent openings produces a reaction which further assists in increasing the efficiency or power which is obtained from the motive fluid.

lnstead of constructing the buckets separately from the body of the turbine and mounting the same removably thereon these buckets may be formed integrally or directly on the body by boring oblique openings therein, as shown at 10a in Fig. 12.

This engine as a whole is very simple, durable and inexpensive in construction. lt is very compact so that it is particularly suited for places Where but a limited amount of space is available and owing to its high efficiency it is particularly well suited for purposes where a large amount of power is required for a short period as, for instance, in the starting of the gasolene engine of an automobile, motor boat or the like. I

l claim as my invention:

1. A turbine engine comprising a rotatable circular body, two bars lying one upon the other and extending around the periph ery of said body and having their opposing sides constructed to form a plurality of sockets, a plurality of tubular buckets each of which is arranged in one of said sockets, and a nozzle for delivering a motive fluid into said buckets.

2. A turbine engine comprising a rotatable circular body, two cooperating channel bars which are mounted circumferentially on said body with the edges of their flanges engaging each other and constructed to form a plurality of sockets each of' which is formed partly in the flanges of each bar, a plurality of tubular buckets each of which is arranged in corresponding sockets in said bars, and a nozzle for'delivering a motive fluid into said buckets.

3. A turbine engine comprising a rotatable circular body bars mounted circumerentially on said body and having a plurality of sockets the opposite ends of which are flared, a plurality of buckets each ar ranged in one of said sockets and having its ends flared to fit the flared ends of said sockets, and a nozzle for delivering a motive fluid into said buckets.

4;. A turbine engine comprising a rotatable circular body, a bucket holder comprising two semi-circular sections mounted circumferentially on the periphery of the body and having a plurality of buckets, and means for detachably connecting the sections oi said holder.

5. A turbine engine comprising a rotatable circular body, a sectional bucket holder mounted circumferentially on the periphery of the body and having a plurality of buckets, and means for detachably connecting t-he sections of said holder comprising a single eye arranged on the end of each holder section and engaging between two eyes on an opposing end of an adjacent holder' section, a wedge passing transversely through the companion eyes of adjacent holderv sections and having a screw shank at its small end, and a screw nut arranged on said screw shank and engaging with the outer side of the adjacent eye.

Witness my hand this 12th day of De-l cember, 1911i.

FRED J. KEPPLER.

Witnesses:

THEO. L. Pori), Josnrrr T. VILsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,l by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

